Blood and Tears
by Moteh
Summary: What happens after Ulayoth, Xelotath, and Chaturgah fall? Who fights the new darkness that threatens our world? And just how does it all tie together?
1. Sunset Over the Mountains

Comments, critiques, and more should be sent to If you just want to chat you can catch me on AIM under the name: gscbw5  
I'd love to hear from you. Any suggestions will be considered, and anybody who just want to talk gaming will be welcomed, especially Nintendo gaming

A little about me and this fanfic:  
I'm (now) a 22 year old college student and game designer living in Illinois. I've drawn a lot of inspiration in my development group from Silicon Knights emphasis on storyline and Nintendo's innovation, this is just a small way for me to say "Thank You" to them for keeping innovation in the game industry, cause we all know Sony and Microsoft aren't going to do it as well, or as often.

Also, if you haven't picked up the game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem for the Nintendo Gamecube, I highly recommend it, and you can find it pretty cheap at most outlets (most for $15). Don't pass it up (and don't read this fiction before playing the game, as it does contain some spoilers and things you just won't understand unless you've played the game)

Thank you very much for choosing to read my work,  
Greg Szemiot  
Designer & Director  
Crossbeam Studios  
http/ Darkness: Sanity's Requiem ©2002 Nintendo / Silicon Knights

Blood and Tears of Norlath

Chapter 1: Sunset Over the Mountains  
The drapes fell from his fingers as he stared out the window. They swung in the slight breeze as Jack watched the sunset over the Appalachians. It was a dramatic sight, but he knew this was the night his life was going to change. The eggheads at work had been predicting paranormal activities for the past few months, but tonight, the planets were aligned, something was going to happen, he could feel it deep in his core. Suddenly a knocking came from the front door. Odd, he hadn't seen anybody drive up the winding driveway, and he'd certainly not seen anyone approach his Pennsylvania estate all day, he was here alone, like most nights. Nonetheless he walked to the door, and upon opening it was startled by an old man, dressed in black, clutching a large parcel under his arm.  
Jack was puzzled, "May I help you?"  
"I have a package for you." The old man replied in a squeaky voice.  
The man's voice seemed to fill Jack's soul with dread, but for what reason? This was just an old delivery man.  
"Ah yes, let me find a pen to sign."  
"No matter, I need no signature, here's your package."  
"Um, Thank you."  
The man walked off down the drive. Jack turned closing the door. He glanced at the package in his hand. The return address was smudged, the lettering dark and deliberate. Jack moved to a small table, moved a small clock aside, and put the parcel on the table. Grabbing a silver letter opener he proceeded to unwrap the parcel. When he'd finished he was surprised to find a large book. It was very intricately made of what seemed to be leather and grayish bindings. An intricate design on the cover, five skulls and vertebrae arranged in a circle, commanded his attention. A design set within the circle seemed to glow as he stared at it, a slight yellow, before fading again. He grabbed the book and took it to a desk in the corner of the room. He sat dawn, pulled the book close and opened the cover.  
Horrific visions swam through his head of death, struggle, and beings more powerful than he could have imagined. As the vision faded his was left with one image in his mind, a being entirely of yellow wreaking havoc and destruction across time and space. What was this book?  
He read the book, absorbing all he read, seeing the characters, feeling their pain and hardships. Brief visions of a young dancer, a reporter, a Roman centurion, and others flooded his mind as he read. He finished the book, and was unsettled by the visions he was having, but the book seemed to conclude as a firefighter was transported to ancient Persia. It was a strange book, but who would send such a thing to him? And why? Reading the book had left him drained, and he walked to the stairs ready for a long nights sleep in the cold November weather.  
He stripped of his clothes and stepped into the steaming shower. As the water flowed over his body he felt a chill down his back. He turned and saw shape in the steam standing in the shower with him. It was a girl, about 25 he guessed, nude, but she seemed semi-transparent. Looking down at her feet he saw blood pooling, with the water. He stumbled backwards against the far wall. Deep cuts appeared in the girls body as she stood there. The blood flow increased, but she just turned and walked out the back wall to the shower, bloody footprints tracing her route until they were swept away by the water. Jack's breath came in shallow fast bursts as his eyes grew wide with terror. He turned off the shower and stumbled into the bathroom. Quickly, wrapping a towel around him, he saw something on the mirror. A line was being cleared along the mirror in much the same way as when one runs their finger across it, the condensation pooling slightly before running down the mirror. He saw blood on the sink trailing back towards him. He looked at his own wrists and saw deep gashes in them, his hands dripping blood on the white tile floor.  
Out in the hallway the bathroom door jam splintered and burst under a tremendous force placed on the door. Jack came running out screaming, staring at his bloody hands. As he stumbled about in wild fear the blood disappeared from his hands, as did the gashes in his wrists. Jack, frightened out of his mind let out a yell of anguish and fear that wracked his body. He collapsed on the floor then, unconscious.

"Jack, what're you watching?"  
"Nothing Alex, go to bed."  
"But it's only 9:00, c'mon, let me watch the movie with you. Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?"  
Jack smiled at his younger cousin, "Alright, it's called Nosferatu, it's an old vampire flick."  
"Is it scary?"  
"A little, but don't worry, it's just a movie, it's really old, and it's silent."  
She climbed on the couch looking at him with her big green eyes, lightning flashed outside, she shivered with some fright. He pulled her close so she wouldn't be so scared.

Jack awoke to a pounding headache, he'd hit his head when he'd fallen, and blood had covered his nose and mouth. He blinked, and seemed to otherwise be unhurt. He heard footsteps downstairs on the tile, though he knew nobody was home, for he lived alone, always had. He slowly got up, walked to an old wall hanging and pulled an old english dagger from it. He then slowly made his way to the stairs. Finding his slippers at the top of the stairs he put them on. Gripping the dagger in one hand he went slowly down the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he felt vibrations course through his body. It took him a moment to realize it was his heart beating. He gripped the bannister, and then, with pure willpower he walked into the middle of the foyer. The lights above him flickered for an instant, but remained on. He took a step and heard a crunch beneath his slipper. Stooping down he found a piece of circular glass on the floor, slightly chipped, but not badly broken. He found the small clock a few feet away, the hands frozen at 3:33, the date at 4:4:04. What the hell? He put the clock back down, puzzled by his surroundings. He heard a shuffling behind him, and as he turned, he saw a spindly creature made of what looked like lightning. It cast a yellow glow around itself. It shuffled towards him. He took careful aim as he swung the dagger at what appeared it be it's head. The head exploded in a shower of light and glowing embers. The creature stopped moving, and Jack smiled, confident he'd killed the creature. Then, to his horror, the creature reached up with it's arm inspected it's shoulders, searching for it's head. Jack shivered. As he thought about what he was seeing his vision blurred. He swung at the arm and severed it as well. He severed the other arm, and then, screamed as he jumped onto the creature and stabbed it through the torso. It stayed there, impaled and attached to the ground until it disappeared in a flash of sizzling yellow. Jacks vision returned to normal, but he was just as confused as ever.  
The creature had come from the guest room of the mansion, he'd have to investigate, but first he picked up the phone to call the sheriff. As he held the headset to his ear he heard bizarre talking in Latin. Before he knew it screaming and sounds of torture along with children laughing cheerfully came over the line,. together each would have been creepy, simultaneously it was very unnerving. He hung up the phone, but to be sure he wasn't imagining it he picked the phone back up again, and heard a quiet mad babbling over the line. He slammed the phone down, ripped the cord from the wall and threw the whole phone across the room. He knelt down on the floor and sobbed, what was happening? Why here of all places? Why to him?

"Alex, you shouldn't play with those old books, you know how your grandfather likes his things kept in order."  
"I know Jack, but I want to read that sci-fi book, grandfather says I can't."  
Jack stood and looked at the book, it was odd, it was the only book face out in the whole library. Strange, he reached out to touch it.  
"Hey, Jack, I told Alex no, that goes for you too."  
"Grampa Edward!" Alex's face lit up and she ran to her grandfather, who picked he up and put her on his shoulders.  
"Sorry Uncle Edward, I was just curious."  
"I know, but you should ask, I don't want either of you touching that book. It's for you own good to stay away from it."  
"Okay Uncle, I won't touch it. I promise."  
"Me either Grampa, cross my heart." She crossed her heart with her small hands.  
"I know you'll both keep away from it. Thank you. Now, who wants some chocolate cake?"

"Alex? Alex? Oh cousin where have you gone? I need you to hear me now." Jack said as he stopped sobbing. He picked himself off the floor and walked carefully towards the guest room. He opened the door and peered inside. His heart froze, on the bed was the body of a young woman. She was decapitated, her head was lying on the pillow. Her hands were clutched over her heart as if in prayer, but her head showed a look of utter terror. Jack, unable to keep his balance, fell into the room, the door banging loudly against the wall, making a hole in it. He quickly stood and looked over the girls body, trying not to notice her unique condition. As he looked at her, her eyes started to glow yellow and a beam of electricity arched from her eyes to his. He screamed in terror, as he saw himself in the guest room, praying, when a creature came from the wall and decapitated him. The vision stopped, and he knelt there, breathing heavy.  
"Your fault." A sultry voice said very slowly.  
Jack looked at the head and saw the mouth moving slowly.  
"NO! I did not do this. I did nothing!"  
"You opened the book."  
"The book?"  
"The Tome of Eternal Darkness."  
"So?"  
"Flesh and bone, life and death, sanity and spirit, all are intertwined. Now that you have opened the book, you will die, just as we have."  
"What? Who are you?"  
"We are the few..."  
Jack's vision flashed white, he was alone in the room, the body of the girl gone.  
"Ugh, what the hell is happening? This isn't possible"  
Jack looked around, a light of some source was bathing the room. He saw a light from behind the door somewhere. The hole in the wall, something was back there. He looked in and saw a candle, pristine and glowing. A page sat in the space between the walls. On it, in very erratic writing was a passage:

"O, oblivious humanity...How ignorant we truly are, safe only in our blind view of the world. We are merely caretakers, for when the Ancients return, we shall be swept aside like driftwood on the tide of destruction..."

Jack studied the note in his hand, not comprehending it's meaning. He suddenly heard a thump from the floor above him. He'd have to investigate, but before doing so, he walked, always on guard, to a gun cabinet in the foyer. It was locked, and his key no longer fit the lock.  
"What the hell?"  
The metal cabinet would not be forced open. Jack, scared out of his mind, given the events of the past night and today so far, very slowly made his way up the stairs. At the top of the stairs he turned the corner and saw a blue transparent form of his Uncle Edward, standing there, in the hall. The apparition walked into a door some feet away. Jack made his way cautiously towards the door. As he neared the door, a scream echoed around the mansion from the same room the apparition had entered. Jack's blood seemed to turn to helium as he became very self conscious, wondering what he was doing in this mansion with these nightmares. Something kept drawing him forward though. He reached the door, and was surprised to find a circular indentation in the face of the door, a tiny piece breaking the line of the circle. Jack recognized it was resembling the circular glass he'd found earlier and placed the glass in the carving. The glass glowed a deep yellow before going black. The door opened, and Jack walked in, and fell down, an endless room stretching beneath him.

"Hey Alex, want to play a game?"  
"Okay, what game?"  
"Hide and seek sound good?"  
"Yeah, that's a good game Jack."  
"Alright, you go hide and I'll find you."  
"Okay, but no peeking, or I'll tell Grampa."  
"Alright, no peeking. I promise."  
"Okay, ready, GO!"  
"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12..."  
"AHHHHHHH!"  
"Alex? ALEX? What's wrong?"  
"JACK!"  
"ALEX, where are you."  
"I'm in the Kitchen, hurry."  
Jack ran into the kitchen, he saw Alex sitting in the far corner crying he eyes out.  
"What's wrong?"  
"The bird moved Jack, I saw it."  
Jack looked at the crow on the mantle of the fireplace. It seemed to be in a different position than before.  
"Oh, it's only you imagination, come here."  
She walked on over and placed her braided blonde head on his shoulder, as he just sat there and looked at the bird. Did it actually move?

Jack stood there, unfeeling for the moment. In front of him was a picture of Alex, sitting there in her little dress, and him, kneeling beside her, smiling for the camera. She was only 5 in the picture, he was 10.  
"What happened Alex? Why have we grown apart?"  
"You betrayed her."  
Jack came to his senses. The room around him was a spattering of blood. The voice that addressed him seemed to come from nowhere.  
"You betrayed her that day."  
"What day?"  
"The day the bird moved."  
"What? She was frightened, I consoled her, how did I betray her?"  
"You told her it was her imagination."  
"It was."  
"You thought the bird moved too."  
"It didn't."  
"You set her up to take the fall, she fell at my hands mere weeks ago, now, you shall fall, and humanities last stand shall be over."  
Jack felt a presence behind him, and swung the dagger. A pillar of smoke swirled and then reasserted itself. Jack, with the smoke and room spattered with blood, wasfinding it difficult to keep his bearings. He started to stumble around, taking swings when he though he saw the smoke creature. He heard laughing, chanting and wailing as he stumbled. He felt a pain in his chest. Looking down he was suddenly focused, he saw his own hands around the dagger. The dagger was buried up to the hilt in his chest. He spasmed, throwing up blood, as he fell to the floor.  
"Forgive me Alex, I'm sorry. I've let you down. I've let you down."

"Jack? Jack? Why do you talk in your sleep?"  
"Sleep? Death is not sleep."  
"But death is not final, at least not yours. You must go back and finish."  
"Alex?"  
"Yes, Jack?"  
"How did you die?"  
"By my own hand, in the bath. I slit my wrists and throat."  
"But why?"  
"The darkness clouded my mind."  
"Has it clouded mine?"  
"No. Fight it Jack, fight the darkness."  
"I'll try Alex, I'll try."  
"Just a little longer"

Jack gasped as life returned to his body. He crawled towards the door, there was only one choice of action. Destroy the book. The book was the key.

"You can't win Jack."  
Jack looked up, seeing a young woman, holding her head in her hands, blood staineing a white wedding dress she was wearing. The head spoke again, "You can try as you might, there is no one left to stop us."  
"You...were...the girl...in...in the...bedroom...right?"  
"Hmm, you remember with your soul what your mind blocks out."  
"If I fall, another will rise to take my place, and you will parish from this universe."  
"The ancients can NEVER die. We are immortal."  
Jack puled the dagger from his chest, screaming with the pain coarsing through his body, and with his last ounce of strength swung at the demonic bride before him. She twiled and gripped his throat in one hand while the other held her head. She began to choke him, Jack was all but dead.  
"Ha ha ha ha, you weak humans are no match for the power of Norlath." With that, she summoned a beam of darkness unto Jack, and his body was no more.

"Alex, I tried, I really did."  
"I know Jack, and you did fine, you gave us the time needed."  
"Time needed?"  
"We had to find another to take up the fight, we believe we have found them."  
"Who?"  
"Nicole"  
"Nicole? You can't be serious."  
"I am, and so is she, she is the next in the fight."  
"Very well then, let us hope she succeeds."  
"Let us hope she realizes what she is, before they do." 


	2. The Seal Bearer

The Blood and Tears of Norlath

written by Greg Szemiot

Eternal Darkness™ & ©2002 Nintendo / Silicon Knights

Chapter 2: The Seal Bearer

The blood of the order stains the hands of many. Years ago they were hunted for their beliefs, and early members, burned at the stake during the witch trials of England. The order has since passed down their traditions, beliefs, and ideals through out the ages, they live in the darkness, and call upon ancient beings to help their cause. Their followers work behind the scenes to save us, and yet humanity will never know, for darkness conceals many things, some, for all eternity. Yet there are some things even the order can not defend against.

The Book of Niraster

Nicole sat at her desk, feverously pouring over manuscripts, notes, and an old leatherboud book from the library. The desk lamp cast a errie glow across the room, causing long, deep shadows to cross the room before fading into darkness. She sat ther, sitting in her comfortable jeans and tee shirt. She moved a loc of her black hair from her green eyes, and silently cursed the lamp for casting a glare on her glasses. She moved to turn the page, but cut her finger on the edge. A single drop of blood fell to the open book. She stood and turned, walking to the batroom down the hall, her dorm room door left open. As she washed the cut and put the bandaid on she heard a gasp from outside the bathroom door, followed shortly by a scream. She heard the sound of running footsteps outside and opened the door in time to see one of the girls running down the hall, mad with delerium. She turned towards he room and saw a flittering, bluish glow coming from her door. But it didn't act like light, it splashed and sparkled. Transfixed she walked forward into the light, pushed her door open and stared. The place where the drop of blood had landed on the pages of the old book was glowing, an intense light pouring from the spot. Sh ran in a closed the book swiftly. As she sat there staring at the book, her breath began to catch in her throat, she started to cough and spasm. As her eyes went wide with panic the book opened itself to the page with her blood on it. A beam of light shot from the page and enveloped her. She fell to her knees, unable to breate and unable to scream. She closed her eyes and felt a dull pain along her back, moving into her neck, and up into her head. She slumped over, and felt the darkness fold in around herself.

"Is this death?" Nicole wondered.

"No, this is a new life, a new mission." she heard, the source hidden from her.

"Then where am I?"

"You are nowhere."

"What, how is that possible?"

"Be calm, do not worry, you are safe."

The conversation ended, Nicole was momentarily confused, unable to comprehend where she was, or what was going on. She sensed herself moving, but her vision was still clouded by darkness. She felt cool air and a slight breeze suddenly and the darkness faded from her eyes, as if smoke on the wind. She was on a hill, moving through the air with seemingly no effort, without moving her feet. She looked down to see a path of smoke ascending the hill, on which she appeared to be riding. Her clothes had also changed, she was dressed in a black robe, it flowed around her on the wind. She was also barefoot. This was all very strange, he mind going numb and no accepting what her eyes told her. Looking back she saw a small grouping of stone, aranged in a circle, sitting on the ground, a darkness emiting from the center. Looking forward she saw a small cluster of robed and hooded people at the very top of the hill. She was pulled into the midst and then, very slowly, the smoke beneath her disipated and she found herself standing in the cool grass.

Nicole heard a voice, calm measure, but it's direction was undetectable, she could not tell from whom it came. "So, this is the next of our people?"

"Yes, she is the next bearer of the seal."

Nicole cast her eyes downward in confusion, as some of the people of the circle murmered and chastised her, saying she could not be of thier proud lineage.

"Silence, our master has decreed she be the next to bear the seal, and so it shall be done. Bring her."

The crowd dispersed, moving slowly down the hill to the circle of stones, where one by one the dissapeard in a flash of white. Two stayed behind, and stood besides her. She could not see their faces behind the hood, which draped down, obscuring all features. Another figure approached from the other side of the hilltop, he was a little hunched, and despite his face being hidden, seemed to emit an air of wisdom, and seemed to be highly respected by the two to her sides. The two bowed respectfully. The figure walked up to Nicole, stading just 5 feet away.

"So, you are the next, the bearer of the seal that has kept our people alive for milenia, the next in our struggle. So be it, bring her to the altar."

"What, what's going on here?" Nicole asked, suddenly alarmed.

The hunched form moved away, back towards the other side of the hill. The two figures on either side of Nicole grabbed her by the arms and lifted her into the air. Then they followed the hunched form into the winds.

Nicole, to stunned and confused to really fight back at the moment, looked down the hill. She saw what looked to be a stone altar, complete with torches, a large ring of stones, and what looked to be a book. What was this place?

Some time later they arrived at the altar.

"You will stand here." the hunched figure said, motioning with his hand toward a small circular stone. Not knowing what she was in for she, she stood on the stone, lost. confused. The hunched man walked to the book on the altar, and removed his hood.

Nicole stared, the man seemed to be missing his head. A pale light eminated from the place his head would have been. As she watched the light seemed to form, mold itself into a head. Features became visible, a nose, a mouth, the eyes. The man, now flly formed, regarded her with deep blue eyes, his face wreathed by silver hair.

"Do not be afraid choosen one. I assure you, you are pefrectly safe."

"Who are you?"

"In times long past I was known as Michael Caine. Since then, I have been known as Niraster."

"What's all this choosen stuff?"

"You are impatient to learn the truth of humanity, you will someday understand."

With that he straightened out, his back no longer hunched, raised his arms to the sky, and started reading from the book infront of him.

As the first verse were uttered, light flowed from the book like water, bathing over every stone surface, but not penetrating up into the sky, or touching the rock on which Nicole stood. After the second verse finished the rock on which Nicole stood glowed brightly with the light, though Nicole actually felt a kind of cold heat on the soles of her feet. She couldn't talk, nor breathe, but for the moment, it didn't seem to matter. The third verse finished and all the light in the area seemed to form a ring about 5 feet from the base of the rock on which Nicole stood, and with the fourth verse, it flowed forward and splashed upwards high into the sky above her. She was bathed in light. She opened her eyes and saw, intense, powerful, pure, light. Looking up she saw the light flow in on it self, as it seemed to rain down on her. As she watched the light rain down around her, it splached on her skin, and seemed to be absorbed into her skin. Like in a spring shower, she closed her eyes and smiled, forgetting the terror, the pain, the darkness, she felt at peace. The rain of light slowed, and then stopped. She opened her eyes.

She was laying on the floor in her dorm, again. She got up, slowly, frightened, cold, alone.

"This can't really be happening to me. I must be halucinating."

She glanced down at herself. She was wearing her jeans and tee shirt again. The normalcy comforted her, maybe it was all a dream. She rubbed her hands, then stopped, her fingers in her right palm, moving slightly. She opened her hands and looked at them. Her right hand had a symbol cut into it, a kind of angular glyph. She traced it, felt the grooves with her fingers. As she stared at it, it seemed to emit a faint white glow. She put her hand in the pocket of her jeans, not wanted to look at it.

"Did I do this? Maybe while in that crazy dream?"

As she said it, she felt the floor shake slightly, and heard a growling in the hallway. In her mind, she saw a large black creature standing in the hall, waiting to ambush her. She dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand, thinking her imagination overactive, she opened the door and walked out into the hallway.

Standing at the end of the hall was a large creature, it was huge. It took up the whole hallway, and was at least 8 feet tall. It turned, and she saw a singular, deep purple head looking at her from the middle of the black mass. It waved it's arms, and a shockwave ripped through the hallway, tearing at her, her clothes whipping in the wind. A second later the walls seemed to explode, dust and plaster everywhere. Nicole screamed, shook her head violently and just screamed.

She opened her eyes, the walls were normal. The creature at the end of the hallway remained though. Scared for her life, but unable to flee, Nicole broke the fire box in the wall, grabbed the ax, and started to walk towards the creature.

The sprinklers had activated, sensing the fire box being broken into. Water sparyed down on Nicole and the creature, the creature momentarily confused.

"_This is stupid, you should just run Nicole_," she thought to herself, "but I can't run, it's blocking the stairs, I have no place to run. _There has to be a better way to do this._ This is the only way."

Having settled her self doubt, she walked right up to the creatre, and raised the ax. The creature looked at her, and then swiped at her. It missed, and Nicole started to swing the ax towards the head. As the ax made contact, her right hand burned fiercely, the ax glowed white, and severed the head quickly. Nicole screamed and dropped the ax, gripped her hand tightly until the burning stopped. The ax lay in the water, steam rising from it's surface. Nicole picked the ax back up, looked at the fallen creature before her, and using her left hand, swung the ax in a circle, bringing it down into the creature's body. The gusher of blood opened from the fisure created from the ax, covering Nicole. As it touched her hand, it burned, and seemed to receed away from her palm. Dizy from the pain, Nicole fell forward, her hand touching whe creature, which violently exploded splattering stingy black goo around the hallway. Nicole looked at her body covered with the creature entrails and fainted.

"You should give up, I will claim you," a womans voice said in Nicole's ear.

Nicole awoke, to see a woman standing in a wedding dress before her. The dress was splattered with blood, the womans head held in her hands. Her brown hair held back by a rusted metal headband.

"What?" Nicole asked bleerely.

"Give up, you can't win."

"Against who, I'm in no competition."

"Against me."

Nicole opened her eyes fully, she finally saw just what she was talking to, she screamed and tried to crawl through the black goo towards the staircase. The staircase and the wall seemed to move further away from her. The more she tried to reach the door, the further away it moved. Then the woman was there infront of her.

"Struggle all you want, you can't escape me."

The black good seemed to come alive, forming around Nicole, holding her still. It pinned her arms to her side, her legs clamped together. It raised her up until her was face to face with the woman's head. The woman's teeth were rotting, her eyes were a fierce red. Her skin, on closer inspection which Nicole had hoped to aviod, was rotting, falling away from the bone. When she spoke the smell of decay flowed on her words.

"I will claim you, for you are the first to oppose me with such power. You are the seal bearer, the first in over 4000 years."

"What?"

"You think I don't know who you are. Young fool, you know not what you are to become, yet you have lost your battle."

The woman opened her mouth, exhaling. Nicole closed her eyes and held her breath. When she opened them again, the woman head was slightly closer, mere inches. The stench when she spoke, almost overpowering.

"Your pitiful order, nobody can defy my power young one. I am the begining of the darkness. I was the first, and I will be the last, to reign over this universe."

The ooze of the creature hardened around Nicole. It crept up her neck to her mouth. It seeped into her mouth and held it sightly open. Nicole screamed until her lungs were empty, while she struggled to breathe, the ooze squeezing the life from her. The woman's eyes stopped glowing and a pulsating darkness seemed to form in the back of her mouth which had remained open after her last words. The darkness crept forward out of the mouth before it moved towards Nicole through the air, as if smoke on the wind. Nicole tried to pull away from it, but the solidified ooze held her fast. She closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth, feeling some of the ooze trickle into her mouth and down her throat. The smoke touched her skin, and she felt an imense pain deep in her soul. The pain was so incredible she opened her mouth and inhailed to scream, the smoke entering her body as she breathed it in.

She never screamed. She closed her mouth. She no longer grimaced, the pain had gone. She opened her eyes slowly. They were no longer green, but glowed a fierce red and orange, as if the fires of hades itself were visible through them. She smiled a knowing smile. The black ooze liquified and started to steam and sputter. Soon it was gone.

Nicole stood there. Her clothing altered. Gone were her jeans and tee shirt. Replaced by a black and tattered old dress. Her hair and dress whipped around in the wind emanating from an unseen source. She walked forward, slowly moving down the hall to her old dorm room. With each step the floor creaked, the walls crumbled, the ceiling cracked and chipped. The destruction followed her every step. She opened the door, approached the book, and opened it to the page with her old blood on it. A beam of light shot out as before, bating her in whiteness. She hid her eyes, and let the beam take her back to the altar. Back to Michael Caine. For he was one of the last few who could stop her. He would have to be taken care of before the others.


End file.
